Channeling Through Metal
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: (Vol 3 Ep 11 spoilers) A few months after her encounter with Adam, Yang has a shiny, new, robotic arm enhancement. General Ironwood has appointed himself as her tutor in learning how to properly use it.


**Here's my prediction piece for the week. I don't think it's a coincidence that Yang loses an arm in the same episode it's confirmed that Ironwood has robot enhancements. (Very sexy robot enhancements, I might add. Holy crap! He has freaking metal abs!) I am convinced that we're going to see cyborg Yang in the next Volume, and it will be freaking amazing.**

 **This is just a look at a scene I see happening in the future, where Ironwood is teaching Yang how to use her arm. Enjoy!**

James Ironwood carefully watched his new student, waiting for any sign that she might just give up and chop the table in two. Qrow had told him that there was a very real possibility of her doing that if she got frustrated. When he saw her eyes starting to turn red, he placed a hand on her left shoulder. "Let's take a break."

Yang let out a loud sigh, opening her new right hand to release the wooden block from it. It fell on the table with a clatter. She turned to look at the source of her anger: a shiny, awesome, clunky, useless metal arm that had been grafted to her nub of a shoulder the previous week. At first, she had been hyped at the idea of being a cyborg. Now, she was struggling with the simple act of picking up and feeling a piece of wood.

"It takes time," James assured her patiently. "You just need to learn how to channel your Aura naturally. Don't force it."

"I know," Yang muttered, flexing her metal hand and frowning at the eerie lack of sensation. "Will I really be able to feel with this thing?"

James nodded, looking at his own gloved hand. "To an extent. All feelings will be muted in comparison to how an organic limb can feel things, but you will still be able to detect tactile stimuli such as temperature and texture."

"Well, that's something." Yang tried once again to channel her Aura from her shoulder and into the new limb. A tremor went through the metal and her entire arm started shaking. Groaning, she withdrew her Aura and sat down in a nearby chair. She started to rest her hand on her knee, but drew it back with a sharp hiss. _Stupid hot metal…_

"You know," James said, hoping to ease the tension. "When I first started out, I sometimes used my hand to make popcorn."

"Yeah?" Yang tilted her head. The general was so stoic, it was hard to tell if he was kidding or not. "Didn't that take awhile?"

"Yes, but it was a way to pass the time. Since your Aura is partially fire-based, you might be more successful. Though, you'll have to be careful that you don't overheat the arm."

Yang frowned, bending her fingers again. "Does that mean it'll fry if I activate my Semblance fully?"

"Not if these training sessions go well," James explained. "They aren't just to get you adjusted. They're also to take notes on how the arm will need to be tweaked, so that it will work flawlessly with the rest of your system. Eventually, you can create a new version of Ember Cecila for it."

Thinking about that caused a genuine grin to come to Yang's face. "That'll look pretty badass."

"Yes, that's one way to put it," James muttered with a quiet chuckle. When the kid talked like that, it was easy to see the resemblance between her and Qrow. "Are you ready to try again?"

Yang took a deep breath and stood up, positioning her hand over the blocks. "Yeah. Let's do this."

"Try using your breathing to measure your Aura," James suggested as he watched her. "When you inhale, allow your Aura to be drawn back into your chest. When you exhale, let some of it trickle down your arm. Each time you exhale, do a little more. That'll allow your arm to slowly get used to it."

 _Aura breathing exercises? It's like I'm a freshman at Signal again!_ Still, Yang closed her eyes, focusing on her Aura. She breathed in, pulling it back toward her chest. As she exhaled, she pushed some of it into her metal arm. She did it a few more times, extending her Aura a few inches with each breath.

After a couple more minutes, she felt something. Opening her eyes, she realized that her right hand was resting on the table. She could _feel_ the table! Her face lit up and she made a grab for the nearest block. Her hand moved just as easily as her old one would have. "It's working! I can feel it! I-"

A shock went through her arm, ending at her hand. The block started smoking and she dropped it with a surprised yelp. Instinctively, she withdrew her Aura from the arm and all sensation vanished.

"Well done," James said before his student could start to feel bad. "With more practice and some upgrades, you should be able to channel flawlessly." He clapped her right arm gently, ignoring how hot the metal was. "Let's call it a day. You don't want to overdo it."

Yang nodded, frowning at her arm. _I did better,_ she reminded herself. _I just gotta be patient._ She mentally rolled her eyes. _Patient. Me. That's a good one._

She looked up at Ironwood. "Thanks for the help, sir."

James nodded, feeling a small smile coming to his face. "It's my pleasure, Yang. Try to get some rest, okay?"

"Okay." Yang started toward the door before pausing. "Sir?"

"Hm?"

"Do you ever…get used to it?" She held up her metal arm to try and show what she meant. "The muted feelings, the need to channel… Will I ever reach a point where I won't miss my old arm?"

"No." There was no point in lying to her. "There will be a part of you that will always remember how things felt with your organic arm, and you will always miss it. However," he picked up a wooden block and crushed it easily with a satisfying crunching sound. "You will also become more accustomed to the benefits."

He dropped the splinters on the table. "I've seen much weaker people than you adjust perfectly to their enhancements. You'll be just fine."

Yang felt a release of tension in her chest at Ironwood's words. She looked at her currently dead-feeling arm and felt a surge of determination. She could do this. She could adjust. She could be strong. She had to be, for her sake and her team's.

"Thank you, sir!" She flashed a full grin before closing the door behind her.

The general watched the door for a moment, smiling fondly. That girl took a lot after Qrow, but she acted just like James when he had first started training. She had that same determination, that same refusal to give in, that same spark. These were the things that helped James recover, that pushed him through the ranks of the Atlesian military, that made him the leader he was today.

Maybe, in a few years, the Vale military would be taking orders from Yang Xiao Long. Wouldn't that be a thing to see?

 **I don't know the full details of robot parts in RWBY, but I can imagine that people can feel with them to an extent using Aura, so that's what I decided to focus on. Tonight and tomorrow, I will be avoiding Tumblr like the plague and waiting for the inevitable heartbreak that will be the finale. Then, I don't know. Will we all just sit and stare blankly at our computers for the next few months? Hm. Sounds about right. Peace out!**


End file.
